COVID FREEDOM HEROES — a Western Standard seven-part series — is recognizing individuals and groups from the legal, law enforcement and medical establishment, along with everyday people who stood up for Canadians' rights and freedoms during the COVID-19 lockdowns and mandates..In part three, the Western Standard recognizes the struggle several church pastors endured throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including pastor James Coates of GraceLife Church in Spruce Grove, AB.. James CoatesJames Coates .James Coates took his first pastoral position at GraceLife in July 2010 after completing his seminary training at The Master's Seminary in Los Angeles..Grace Reformed Baptist Church — as it was known when it was incorporated in 2005 — has since been renamed GraceLife and was founded by retired RCMP officer Paul Claassen. The congregation has grown to roughly 800 people, Coates told the Western Standard. .The pastor, whose church is on the outskirts of Edmonton, started out following all the public health orders through the first wave of COVID-19, but through the second wave he began to defy the public health orders that limited in-person worship to just 15% of fire code capacity. .Here is a timeline of pastor Coates and GraceLife Church activity throughout the pandemic:.February 8, 2021 — Pastor Coates was arrested, charged and released for contravening the Public Health Act for holding over-capacity Sunday services.. GraceLife ChurchCourtesy CBC .In December, a violation ticket was issued to the pastor after an Alberta Health Services (AHS) and RCMP investigation into the church’s activities found it was non-compliant with regard to the provincial public health orders..READ MORE: Church pastor arrested for holding service in defiance of lockdown.February 16, 2021 — Pastor Coates was arrested and thrown in jail after twice refusing to tell the court he would stop his Sunday services breaking COVID-19 restrictions..On February 14, RCMP and AHS went to GraceLife Church and found Coates was not complying with release conditions from his February 8 arrest. He then turned himself in to the Parkland detachment two days later and was charged for again failing to comply with public health orders and failure to comply with his bail conditions. .READ MORE: Edmonton-area pastor jailed for breaching COVID regulations.February 18, 2021 — The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) issued a letter to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney urging him to intervene in the imprisonment of Pastor Coates and "assume responsibility for protecting the charter rights and freedoms of Albertans." .READ MORE: Kenney urged to free jailed pastor.February 21, 2021 — GraceLife Church was open for services again on Sunday — less than one week after its pastor was locked up for continuing to hold over-capacity services..Three RCMP vehicles were on scene and said the church had again broken Alberta COVID-19 restrictions, despite no infections being reported at GraceLife Church to date. .READ MORE: GraceLife church holds Sunday service in continued defiance of lockdown. Pastor Coates and Family .February 27, 2021 — Just days before pastor Coates appeared in court to fight his bail conditions, his wife Erin took the opportunity to speak out on behalf of her husband. His bail conditions contain a requirement that he stop preaching, something he's refused to do in two previous court appearances..Erin said in a affidavit her husband could not abide by the conditions “in good conscience” and said, “The restrictions imposed by the (chief medical officer of Health) are hurting GraceLife congregants far more than COVID ever could.".READ MORE: Jailed pastor’s wife speaks out as bail hearing approaches.February 28, 2021 — Sunday services at GraceLife Church continued to break COVID-19 regulations, specifically on gathering limits set at 15% capacity. .Parkland RCMP and AHS attended the service to “gather evidence in relation to their ... non-compliance with the Public Health Order,” said RCMP in a statement and alleged attendance was “beyond the designated capacity.”.READ MORE: GraceLife service again breaks COVID law.March 5, 2021 — Coates was denied bail and remained behind bars until his trial in May. Edmonton Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Peter B. Michalyshyn made the ruling, and stated the pastor’s continued detention was “justified” and “necessary.”.READ MORE: Pastor Coates denied bail.March 10, 2021 — RCMP laid more charges against GraceLife church while pastor Coates remained behind bars in solitary confinement. The church was charged as an entity for exceeding the 15% allowable capacity of the Public Health Act for services held February 21 and 28..READ MORE: RCMP lay charges against GraceLife church.March 13, 2021 — Despite GraceLife Church being fenced off by Mounties from its congregants, Sunday services continued from a secret location.. RCMP and works building barricade around GraceLifeCourtesy JCCF .After being released from jail, pastor Coates continued to preach leading to packed services, so AHS, with the help of the RCMP, raided the facility and built three fences around it. Undeterred, Coates continued with his Sunday services at an undisclosed location and posted the service on YouTube the next day..READ MORE: GraceLife moves services to secret location.March 17, 2021 — The Crown announced it would drop most charges against Coates. The JCCF said it would defend Coates for his one remaining charge of violating an Order of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, carrying a fine of $1,500..READ MORE: Crown drop most charges against Pastor Coates; to be released from jail shortly.March 22, 2021 — Coates was released after being jailed for more than a month because he refused to stop preaching..Both the Crown and defence made a joint submission asking for a $100 fine with Coates pleading guilty to breach of an undertaking..But the judge told court he wasn’t sure the $100 fine was enough of a deterrence and came back with a $1,500 fine and a tongue-lashing for Coates. .READ MORE: Coates released with $1,500 fine. Rachel NotleyCredit: NDP website .March 28, 2021 — Coates was back in his GraceLife church preaching at the pulpit after spending nearly a month in jail for refusing to stop preaching and for breaking COVID-19 restrictions..Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley repeatedly demanded RCMP and AHS officials shut down the church and took to Twitter to share her outrage..“Enough is enough. GraceLife must be shut down,” Notley tweeted Sunday afternoon. “The people attending this church are not above anyone else. Their refusal to follow the rules puts others at risk.”.READ MORE: Coates back behind the pulpit at GraceLife.READ MORE: Alberta NDP leader Notley demands GraceLife Church be shut down.April 7, 2021 — AHS and RCMP raided GraceLife Church at dawn and barricaded the church to prevent access to the building until the church complied with Alberta’s public health measures..READ MORE: UPDATE: RCMP raid GraceLife Church; JCCF ‘outraged’ by ‘unjustified violation’ of Charter.April 10, 2021 — Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro personally approved the AHS-RCMP raid and barricading of GraceLife Church according to a UCP MLA who spoke to the Western Standard on condition of anonymity. Although, according to a spokesman for Shandro, the minister denied any involvement..READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: UCP MLA says Shandro approved barricading GraceLife Church. Woman yells at police who refused to let her son inside to go to the washroomGracelife Church under police control. .April 11, 2021 — Authorities put up a third fence at GraceLife Church after about 300 protesters gathered Sunday morning and some proceeded to tear down a portion of a chain link barrier. Dozens of RCMP cruisers blocked access roads for kilometres around the church..READ MORE: UPDATE: GraceLife Church protesters tear down part of fence.April 13, 2021 — While GraceLife Church was barricaded to prevent “illegal” services being held, pastor Coates moved Sunday services away from the church to secret locations..After Coates was released from jail, the church continued to see packed services, so last week Alberta Health Services, with the help of the RCMP, raided the facility and built three fences around it..READ MORE: GraceLife moves services to secret location.April 18, 2021 — For the second Sunday in a row, Coates held another Sunday services at a secret location..While large protests erupted at the walled-off church, Coates continued with his service last Sunday at a secret location and then put it up on YouTube Monday. And this Sunday, Coates did the exact same thing..READ MORE: GraceLife Church holds second underground Sunday service.April 30, 2021 — At the request of a government prosecution lawyer, an Alberta judge ruled the trial of Coates will not have video available to the public..Instead, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedom said Judge Robert Shaigec ruled only audio of the proceedings will be made public to a maximum of 1,000 people virtually and 12 people inside the courtroom. .READ MORE: Judge rules Coates trial only available on audio, not video.May 3, 2021 — Coates said he “never wanted this public position” while on the witness stand for the first day of his trial in Edmonton’s provincial court. He admitted his church was functioning over the 15% mandated capacity, but argued provincial regulations are unconstitutional..In earlier testimony by AHS inspector Janine Hanrahan, she said AHS started receiving public complaints about the church breaking COVID-19 regulations in July 2020..READ MORE: UPDATED: Coates rues the publicity caused by GraceLife COVID stance.June 9, 2021 — JCCF President John Carpay argued Shaigec failed to apply a proper two-step Charter analysis with regard to freedom of religion, association, expression and peaceful assembly. Shaigec ruled the enforcement of public health orders did not violate the Charter. Carpay called it a “mystifying finding.”.READ MORE: CARPAY: Bad ruling against a church’s charter rights begs for an appeal.June 10, 2021 — With the help of the JCCF, Coates, along with three church congregants, filed a court application against AHS, then Health Minister Tyler Shandro, and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw, in an effort to force the government to return the building and grounds to the church..At that point, the church had been barricaded for more than two months..READ MORE: Pastor Coates suing Alberta government to get church back.June 22, 21 — As the Alberta government announced COVID-19 restrictions would be dropped July 1, GraceLife Church was unlocked and returned to Coates on Canada Day, as well. The church stood barricaded for more than two months after an early-morning raid by AHS and RCMP in early April..READ MORE: Pastor Coates gets GraceLife Church back on Canada Day.Other Alberta pastors were targeted by AHS and law enforcement for not complying with public health orders including Artur Pawlowski, a preacher in the community of Shaganappi's Street Church. . Screen-Shot-2021-05-08-at-4.28.46-PMPawlowski arrest .In early April 2021, a video of Pawlowski ejecting AHS and Calgary Police Service officers from his church during an Easter service went viral. .A half dozen police, bylaw officers and AHS officials visited a Good Friday service at The Cave of Adullam — which appeared to be a residential home in a community..Pawlowski met the group at the top at the stairs and began screaming at them, all the while filming the confrontation..READ MORE: WATCH: Calgary police try and bust up Good Friday service at city church. Pawlowski arrest by CBSA officer .Pawlowski and his son were arrested on May 8, 2021, after continually holding packed church services and organizing protests. A court injunction awarded to AHS enabled them to immediately arrest Pawlowski after he left his church..READ MORE: WATCH: Calgary police arrest Pastor Pawlowski for breaching COVID lockdown.Pawlowski was arrested several more times including in January 2022 when he and his brother Dawid were accused of allegedly breaching their judicial conditions. .READ MORE: WATCH: Calgary pastor Pawlowski arrested yet again.Calgary baptist preacher Tim Stephens, on May 16, 2021, became the third religious leader arrested in Alberta for breaking COVID-19 regulations over church attendance.. Pastor Tim Stephens gets a hug from his kids before being taken to jail on SundayCourtesy JCCF .The Fairview Baptist Church pastor, husband, and father of eight, was arrested by city police after ignoring repeated warnings from AHS for having too many people at his services..READ MORE: Third pastor arrested in Alberta for breaking COVID lockdowns.Stephens was released on May 18 after being arrested by police three days earlier for repeatedly refusing to follow COVID-19 lockdown rules on church capacity.. Pastor Tim StephensPastor Tim Stevens .READ MORE: Pastor Stephens released from custody.Contempt charges were dropped against Stephens after it was learned he was never served with the court order he was accused of having violated. .Stephens was imprisoned in the Calgary Remand Centre for 3 days before JCCF lawyers could secure his release..READ MORE: AHS drops contempt charges against Calgary pastor.Even US Sen. Josh Hawley, in late June 2021, noted Canada's persecution of pastors when he urged his government to add Canada to its freedom of religion watch list because Alberta repeatedly arrested and jailed pastors for breaking COVID-19 regulations. . Sen. Josh HawleyCourtesy Vogue .“I am troubled that our Canadian neighbors are effectively being forced to gather in secret, undisclosed locations to exercise their basic freedom to worship,” Hawley wrote in a letter to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom..“Frankly, I would expect this sort of religious crackdown in Communist China, not in a prominent Western nation like Canada. Canadian authorities’ arrest of faith leaders and seizure of church property, among other enforcement actions, appear to constitute systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”.READ MORE: US senator blasts Alberta for locking up pastors
